Quick-acting vise



July 26, 1955 M. B. MITTLEMA N QUICK-ACTING VISE Filed Feb. '18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l MrevA fimw Mrrzamw "11:5 01 m IN V EN TOR.

4 TTOPNEY July 26, 1955 M. B. MITTLEMAN 2,713,802

QUICK-ACTING VISE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 18, 1953 Illlll 55 llh.

INVENTOR Mama B000 M/rTLEM/M/ BY jg W ATTORNEY United States Patent QUICK-ACTING VISE Myron Budd Mittleman, Larchmoiit, N. Y.

Application February 18, 1953, Serial No. 337,479

Claims. (Cl. 8117) The present invention relates to improvements in work holding means and more particularly to a quick-acting, cam-locked gripping means.

An object of the subject invention is to provide a rapid locking work-retaining device of flexible application.

A further object thereof is to provide such a device having contact surfaces adapted to engage work pieces of odd shapes.

Another object is the provision of such a device which is adapted to the rapid repetitive removal and insertion of similar work pieces.

These and other objects may be achieved by the subject invention which in the preferred form comprises a vise including a vise bed, terminating at the front end in an integral fixed jaw block surmounted by two laterally spaced stacks of cam-locked pin-retained movable discs, which act as a fixed jaw; said bed having a' pair of laterally spaced tracks leading rearward from said block; a movable jaw block, slidably mounted on said tracks, carries as a movable jaw a pin-retained stack of camlocked substantially triangular platelets; and a cam mounted on a capstan-screw clamp which functions to lock said movable jaw against a work piece in position between said fixed and movable jaws. Additional features presently to be described add to the utility thereof.

A fuller understanding of the present invention and an appreciation of other objects thereof may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates said preferred embodiment thereof, it being understood that the foregoing statement of the objects of the subject invention and the brief summary thereof are intended to generally explain the same without limiting it in any manner.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a vise embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, the platelets and discs of the jaws being differently positioned.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Pig. 4 is a section taken along the line'4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view thereof'taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a crosssectional view thereof taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view thereof taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view thereof, showing a work piece in section between the unclamped' aws of said vise. I

Fig. 9 is the same as Fig. ,8, except that the work piece is clamped between said jaws.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred form there illustrated includes a vise bed 19, having slotted lugs 11 extending therefrom to enable fixed positioning of the device, the center portion of the bed having integrally formed thereon a pair of elevated laterally spaced, longi- 2,733,532 Patented July 26, 1955 tudinally extending tracks 12 and 13 which terminate forwardly in an integral fixed-jaw block 14 upon which is mounted the fixed jaw or fixed deteiit which in the illustrated embodiment of the invention consists of two stacks 15 of apertured round platelets or discs 16, the discs being retained atop said block by broadhead pins 17 and 18 respectively, each of the same head diameter as said discs (see Fig. 7), the shafts of said pins being smaller in diameter than the apertures in said discs, permitting them to-be horizontally displaceable relative to said pins. The pins enter vertical bores 19 and 20 in said block and are locked and unlocked relative thereto by means of a camshaft 21 which passes through a transverse bore 22 in the block aligned with corresponding transverse bores 23 and 24 in pins 17 and 18. Said camshaft includes a transversely apertured head 25, a bearing portion 26 adjacent said head and of smaller diameter, another bearing portion 27, of still smaller diameter at the opposite end of said shaft, said portions being axially aligned and a cam portion 28 intermediate said bearing portions and being a cylindrical section, the longitudinal axis of which is not aligned with the axes of said bearing portions. The lateral portions of bore 22 in block 14 form matched bearings for bearing sections 26 and 27. Shaft 21 is rotatably secured in said block by means of screw 29 which is turned home in a terminal axial threaded bore in bearing section 27. A lever 30, insertable in the aperture in head 25, may be operated to rotate camshaft 21 (clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 4) to cause cam portion 28 to bear downwardly on the lower surfaces of bores 23 and 24 in pins 17 and 18, thus pressing the heads of said pins against underlying discs 16, clamping them into fixed positions against the top of block 14. Since the discs are horizontally displaceable relative to said pins before camshaft 21 is rotated clockwise to the position shown in Fig. 4, they may be locked into place in many different positions enabling fixed-jaw profiles of great variation.

The movable jaw is mounted on a T-shaped movablejaw block or slide 31 (see Figs. 4 and 6) the shank 32 of the T extending vertically between tracks 12 and 13 while the head 33 thereof extends transversely across said tracks and is slidable thereon. The top of head 33 is coplanar with the top of fixed-jaw block 14. The lower portion of shank 32 projects just slightly below the tracks and bears a plate 33, affixed by screws 33", which extends laterally underneath the tracks and acts to maintain the slide on the tracks without binding it. The movable jaw itself, in the form shown, consists of a stack 34 of substantially triangular apertured platelets 35, the corners of which are rounded, secured to the top of slide 31 by means of a broad headed pin 36, the head of which is seated flush in a recess in the top of the upper platelet and the shank of which extends downwardly through the apertures in said platelets, which apertures are wider than said shank, and into a vertical bore 37 running through head 33 and partially through shank 32 of slide 31. The means for releasably locking platelets in place are similar to those employed to lock discs 16 and include a camshaft 38 which runs through aligned transverse bores 39 and 40 respectively in head 33 and pin 36, the camshaft including a broad apertured head 41 at one end, an adjacent bearing section 42 of somewhat reduced diameter, another hearing section 43 of still further reduced diameter at the other end and an intermediate cylindrical cam section 44, the bearing sections being longitudinally axially aligned and resting in matched aligned bearing surfaces at the margins of bore 39, while the longitudinal axis of the cam section is not aligned with the corresponding axes of the bearing sections. Camshaft 38 is rotatably maintained in bore 33 by means of screw 45 which is turned home in an axial threaded bore in the end of bearing section 43. Hence, as camshaft 38 is rotated (clockwise as seen in Fig. 4), as for example by the insertion of lever 30 in the aperture in head 41 and by the angular displacement thereof, cam section 44 bears down on pin 36 effectively clamping platelets 35 in place. Said platelets may be horizontally displaced when the cam lock is released and since, unlike discs 16, they are not circular, the movable jaw may be fixed in an almost infinite variety of profiles.

Platelets 35 are of the same height as discs 16 and preferably stacks 15 and 34 are likewise of the same height. Of course, the triangular platelets 35 might be employed as the fixed jaw while the two stacks 15 of discs 16 might be employed as the movable jaw. However, the combination of triangles and discs has been found particularly well suited to hold objects of every conceivable shape.

A clamp and cam assembly is likewise slidably mounted on tracks 12 and 13, normally outside of the jaws. The clamp is formed of an upper, inverted-T-shaped, vertically-axially-apertured slide 46, glide surfaces 47 being provided by a rabbet formed in each longitudinally extending corner of the underside of the crosspiece, the portion between them extending downward between said tracks and acting as a guide; the shank of the T comprising a sleeve 48; positioned underneath said slide is a lower keeper member 49, vertically axially partially bored, a bore 50 therein being threaded and in registry with the aperture in slide 46, the shank portion extending upward between tracks 12 and 13 and acting as a guide while the inside sections of the cross piece engage the underside of said tracks and act as glide surfaces; a capstan head screw 52, the head resting atop sleeve 48, passes through the aperture in slide 46 and is screwed into bore '0. Lever 30 may be inserted in one of the apertures in capstan screw 52 and operated to tighten the screw, thus clamping the assembly tightly to tracks 12 and 13. The cam is a circular ring cam 53 apertured vertically eccentrically and of slightly less height than sleeve 48 about which it is mounted to rotate. Hence, even though capstan screw 52 is driven to tightly bind slide 46 and keeper 49 about tracks 12 and 13, cam 53 remains free to rotate. Bores 54 through the side walls of the cam may be dimensioned to receive a lever such as lever 30 or may be threaded to receive an operating handle 55 (see Fig. 1) the forward portion of which is correspondingly threaded. This latter feature presents a dual advantage. First, the handle will not pull out when the clamp is pulled back toward the rear of the vise. Second, as it is screwed home it passes through bore 54 and contacts the wall of sleeve 48 of slide 45 thus furnishing a means to lock the cam in position, by set-screw action, to prevent displacement and hence loosening of the grip of the jaws during such operations as milling and drilling which give rise to a great deal of vibration. For this last application, it is preferred to tip the inserted end of handle 55 with a soft metal piece in order to avoid marking or grooving sleeve 48.

The inner vertical face of fixed-jaw block 14 maybe grooved to form a vertical groove 56 (see Fig. 2) between stacks 15 of discs. This enables the vertical positioning of tubing between the jaws.

It is believed that the assembly of the device illustrated is sel -evident from the drawings and description. Likewise patent is the myriad of applications to which the illustrated device may be put. To further describe its operation one such use will be detailed.

Suppose the problem, to insert a work piece for drilling, remove it, insert another identical piece, and so forth. When the first such work piece 57 is to be inserted, assume the clamp and movable jaw to be in the positions A and B respectively as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3. The operator first loosens the platelets 35 and discs 16 of the movable and fixed jaws by applying lever 30 in an anti-clockwise direction to camshafts 38 and 21 successively. Capstan head screw 52 is then rotated counterclockwise to release the clamp. The movable jaw is then made to approach the fixed jaw either by direct manual manipulation of slide 31 or by pushing it with the clamp which in turn is pushed by means of operating handle 55. The workpiece 57 is placed within the jaws as shown in Fig. 8, the lowest platelet and discs being inwardly displaced to form a platform on which the work rests, and the upper platelets and discs being brought close to but not in clamping engagement with the work. The capstan screw 52 is first tightened, and the stacks 15 and 34 are then locked by partial revolution of the camshafts 38 and 21. The device is now set up as a jig for the particular type of work piece employed. To tightly secure workpiece 57 within the jaws, i. e. to make the fine adjustment, cam 53 is now rotated to cause it to press against the head 33 of slide 31 and drive the movable jaw toward the fixed jaw clamping the work tightly between the jaws, as shown in Fig. 9. If desired, operating handle 55 may be rotated to bind cam 53 in place against rotation by vibration. Usually this will not be necessary. Assuming this last step has not been taken, all that need be done to free the workpiece is to rotate cam 53. The operator then picks out the piece, replaces it with another and repeats the procedure.

If the work is a short tube of broad diameter, it may be placed about the jaws. The clamp and cam assembly 4653 is first relocated between the jaws and is then employed to exert outward pressure on the movable jaw to hold such work in place.

Of course, if it is not desired to use jaws which may be set in a shape or which may conform to an oddly shaped workpiece, then the platelets 35 and the discs 16 may be replaced by conventional jaws.

It will be noted that the fixed jaw was also referred to as a detent. In more generalized forms, the fixed element or detent need not be a jaw but merely any type of conveniently shaped detent and it need not be fixed, but might itself be movable. Indeed, it might well be another set of a movable jaw as illustrated and clamp and cam means as illustrated. If then the two such movable jaws are slidably mounted on a pair of tracks in confrontation and each has associated with it a clamp and cam assembly similarly slidably mounted but with one such assembly on the outside of each jaw, then a combination of great flexibility is presented. An embodiment including such modifications is illustrated in Fig. 10. In this case, 14 is a movable jaw block or slide similar to the corresponding movable block 31, instead of the fixed jaw block 14 of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 through 9. There has been added another clamp and cam assembly 46-53 which operates with respect to jaw block 14' in the same manner as the clamp and cam assembly 46-53illustrated in Figs. 1 through 9 operates with respect to jaw block 31. The bed 10, for purposes of illustration, has been made laterally symmetrical. In some applications it might be desirable to employ a plurality of pairs of tracks disposed either in parallel or otherwise and mount a number of jaw-clamp-cam combinations on each track.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous additional changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without transcending the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Article holding means comprising a bed, a pair of confronting work contact members mounted on said bed and relatively movable in a predetermined path, one of said members including a base having first and second apertures therein, said apertures intersecting substantially normally, a pin, a stack of apertured plates, said pin passing through the apertures in said plates and into said first aperture, at least one of said plates having an aperture of substantially greater diameter than the diameter of said pin, said pin having a transverse bore registering with said second aperture, a cam shaft journalled in said second aperture, at least a part of the cammed portion thereof lying within said bore whereby upon rotation of said shaft said cammed portion engages the walls of said bore to tighten said pin against said plates so as to releasably secure said plates in position, a clamp detachably affixable to said bed in said path and cam means carried by said clamp, said cam means, when said clamp has been aflixed so that said cam means contacts one of said members, being movable relative said bed to urge said last mentioned member along said path.

2. A vise comprising a bed having a guide slot therein, a pair of confronting jaws mounted on said bed and disposed axially of said guide slot, at least one of said jaws being independently slidable along said guide slot, a clamp and cam assembly guided by said slot and independently slidable therealong, said clamp and cam assembly including a cam relatively movable along said slot with respect to said assembly, a bed-gripping means for releasably securing said assembly in such position that said cam abuts said slidable jaw, and separate means for operating said cam and said bed-gripping means, whereby said cam, when maintained in contact with said slidable jaw by said bed-gripping means, can be operated to move said slidable jaw along said slot in order to grip a workpiece.

3. A vise as described in claim 2, said bed-gripping means of said assembly including upper and lower guide blocks having aligned apertures, the aperture of the lower block being threaded, a bolt passing through the aperture of said upper block and being threaded into the aperture of said lower block, said upper block having an upstanding sleeve portion receiving said bolt, and said cam comprising an eccentric ring rotatably mounted on said sleeve portion.

4. A vise as described in claim 3, said eccentric cam ring having a threaded bore extending radially therethrough, and said means for operating said cam including an operating handle, said handle being threaded at one end so as to be screwable into and through said bore until it jams against said upstanding sleeve portion of said upper guide block and locks said cam to said assembly whereby to prevent retrograde movement of said cam along said slot after said cam has moved said slidable jaw into gripping engagement with a workpiece.

5. Variable-profile article detent means including a base having first and second apertures therein, said apertures intersecting substantially normally, a pin, a stack of apertured plates, said pin passing through the apertures in said plates and into said first aperture, at least one of said plates having an aperture of substantially greater diameter than the diameter of said pin, said pin having a transverse bore registering with said second aperture, a cam shaft journalled in said second aperture, at least a part of the cammed portion thereof lying within said bore whereby upon rotation of said shaft said cammed portion engages the walls of said bore to tighten said pin against said plates so as to releasably secure said plates in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,092,145 Hakes Apr. 7, 1914 1,475,618 Anderson Nov. 27, 1923 2,349,142 Christensen May 16, 1944 2,383,201 Kruchten Aug. 21, 1945 2,486,494 Rice Nov. 1, 1949 2,538,314 Johansson Jan. 16, 1951 2,541,605 Ohlsson Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 379,874 Germany Aug. 29, 1923 430,440 Italy Feb. 16, 1948 266,180 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1950 

